Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in North Carolina both made the decisions to cancel classes (with an optional teacher work day) on March 8 after hundreds of staff requested the day off as part of the nationwide “A Day Without a Woman” demonstration.

“Women across the nation, as well as men, will be participating in a one-day demonstration to recognize the value of women,” Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools interim superintendent, Jim Causby, wrote in a statement shared on the district’s website. Causby did note that while the school district (whose staff is 75% female) “values and supports its female employees, the decision to close schools is not a political statement.” Rather, he wrote, it has to do with student safety and the “district’s inability to operate with a high number of staff absences.”

Similarly, Alexandria City Public Schools superintendent, Alvin L. Crawley, wrote in a statement that the Virginia school district decided to close after realizing more than 300 staff members would be taking the day off. “The decision is based solely on our ability to provide sufficient staff to cover all our classrooms, and the impact of high staff absenteeism on student safety and delivery of instruction,” Crawley wrote. “It is not based on a political stance or position.”

But, even though the decisions weren’t political, it’s important and valuable for the districts to recognize International Women’s Day and the “A Day Without a Woman” demonstration (which was organized by the leaders of the historic Women’s March on Washington), and grant those staff members who’d like to participate the day off. And they may not be the only ones. According to The News & Observer, Durham Public Schools in North Carolina is also considering closing schools on Wednesday.

The “A Day Without a Woman” will be “a demonstration to spotlight the indispensable role women play in the daily functions of life in all of society, through paid and unpaid, seen and unseen labor,” according to a press release from the Women’s March. The organization has provided a letter template that those who identify as women or gender-nonconforming use to request the day off. But, if refraining from work isn’t an option, there are other ways to participate in the demonstration: You can wear red in solidarity, and only spend money at small, women- and minority-owned businesses for the day.